Quake shakes west Indonesia; no immediate reports of damage
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A strong undersea earthquake has struck Indonesia’s Sumatra island, causing residents to panic, but there are no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 6.0 quake was centered south of Pagar Alam city in South Sumatra province at a depth of 59 kilometers (36 miles). Witnesses say many residents ran out of their homes to higher ground, but later received text messages saying there was no danger of a tsunami. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 270 million people, is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines.